100th blog post; 4 Animated short films you have to watch

I just can’t describe how much it means reaching this personal milestone in my blogging. I hope you guys have enjoyed my posts, I certainly still have an ever growing passion to continue writing on this blog. Thanks for everything, it really means alot to me that you read my posts, a part of why I’m doing this is honestly because of this great blogging community. Now I’m not one for getting all melodramatic, so let’s get to…….ANIMATED SHORT FILMS.

My reviews which have a tendency to go off into a full blown essay( I really need to appreciate the fact that ya’ll take that 7 extra minutes just to read what I have to ramble about) 🙂 , and so it’s not wise to do that with short films because I’d probably spoil the whole thing. That being said, it doesn’t mean short films are simple and base. They’re actually quite complex and it’s one of the main reasons why I’m gonna dedicate this post to 4 short animated films I love.

Without further ado, Me + Her, Sanjay’s Super Team, Feast and Paperman are my recommended viewings for the week. It only costs you about max 30 mins of your time, so it’s a nice option if you’re running a busy week. Take a little time off, relax and soak up the beauty in these animated films.

Oh and do not even bother watching trailers for animated films, a 1-2 min trailer is already like a huge chunk of the film, it’s a HUGE SPOILER. Don’t do it!

Me + Her (2014)

You can watch the film for free online at their website http://www.cardboardfilm.com/

You wouldn’t know cardboard figures could have THAT many expressions.

Let’s start off with my favourite one, Me + Her. The thing you’ll notice about short animation films (not sure about short live films) is that the story’s usually pretty straightforward. It finds complexity in simplicity. Me + Her though has a pretty complex story and will keep you in suspense for most of its running time. It’s a beautifully crafted tale with unusual effects and cardboard characters. Think that ol’d cardboard you found on the sidewalk boring and lifeless? It has alot of heart, trust me. If you like a true romance and love story without cheesy stuff and overused themes, this one will be perfect for you. The ending is one you will definitely not expect, and leaves you thinking about the limits of love for days on end.

Rating: 10/10

Sanjay’s Super Team (Nominated for Oscars 2016)

Watch on Amazon, there’s a oscars 2016 short animation film pack which includes some of the animated shorts.

Guess what? This one is from Pixar which was really weird because you could never have guessed from watching it. It just doesn’t feel that mainstream-ish…which is not a bad thing of course. In fact, it had me thinking it was about something only to keep on changing my thoughts on what the film was trying to say. It’s flashy, cool and extremely luscious in effects. I’m definitely NOT going to spoil anything here. What I will say though is that there’s so much more underneath the ethereal fable. Sanjay’s Super Team has a unique perspective on religion and identity, whose microcosmic superhero tale is a lesson in reconcillation.

Rating: 10/10

Feast (Nominated for Oscars 2015)

Watch this on Youtube 🙂

The first two are pretty unknown stuff but Feast and Paperman are pretty essential short films that all cinephiles would know! But it’s alright if you haven’t heard of them because that’s what this post is for 😉 Feast is a very simple little tale. Come to think of it, they’re all simple little tales with a big big heart. Dog lovers would LOVE this one, I mean seriously love this to bits. A heartwarming tale that features the dog’s perspective on modern life and marriage, the film shows you how it’s never too late to make a difference.

Rating: 9.6/10

Paperman (Winner of Best Animated Short Film at the 2013 Oscars)

Watch this on youtube

Disney’s Paperman is no different from the other films in this list. In general, it applies to most animated short films as well. Take a simple idea and put an interesting perspective to it. Paperman is all about the connection with a stranger, as I’m sure many of us have faced before, and questions we ask ourselves like ‘Is he/she the one?’. It might be an idealistic portrayal of love made of roses and kisses. But this movie cheers me up all the time and I’m sure you’ll be moved as well. Modern life flashes by in an instant, carrying with it a sea of cynicism and meaningless routines; Perhaps Paperman reminds us we all that we can’t lose touch with the little things.

Rating: 9/10

So there we have it, 4 beautifully made short films. There are tons of shorts on youtube, and watching them has been a growing interest of mine, so be sure to watch out for my future recommendations! Have a great weekend 🙂